friday focus - claire richards, children's artist

Today marks the return of "Friday Focus" after a longer than anticipated hiatus. I am excited to feature local Adelaide artist Claire Richards, who specialises in producing children's artwork. Bright, beautiful and often quirky, Claire's products include greeting cards, handmade toys, and portraits. She has also illustrated a number of children's books and was commissioned last Christmas to create the Christmas banners along Jetty Road at Glenelg.

How would you describe your artwork and how did you get started?
I illustrate picture books and quirky greeting cards. I try and put a little bit of humour in all of my artworks. My favourite card I have made says ‘Jack ran out of presents so he gave his brother the neighbour's cat.’ I like making hand made things and telling little stories in my paintings. I enjoy painting portraits.

I started by studying art at TAFE for three years. I wasn’t sure what medium I wanted to do and it was fantastic because I could try a bit of everything - photography, print making, pottery and digital art. I still use clay to make models to draw from. I kept doodling little stories in the back of my art journals. At the end of my studies I had a little exhibition of my cartoons about children and funny looking pets.

When and why did you launch your business?
I launched the business in 2005 because I wanted to share my stories. It gave me the opportunity to develop my style and experiment with paintings. It has led to working on creative projects such as collaborative murals.

What do you enjoy most about being a children’s artist?
I can read picture books and watch Shaun the Sheep as ‘research.’ I really like seeing children’s reactions to my work.

Children are notoriously impatient – how do you manage to get them to sit for portraits?

I make sure they can see what I am doing. Some children like to watch as I paint them. Children are good at observing details and often remind me ‘don’t forget there are pink AND purple stripes on my socks’. Others stay still because their parents have bribed them with food or are jumping up and down and juggling. Because my style is quite loose, it is actually fine for children to be running around while I paint them. 

Where do you work?
I work from a home studio in the garden. This is great because I don’t have to pack everything up each time I make a creative mess. I am quite proud I have built a light table, a rack for drying paintings and use an old cutlery draw to organiser my brushes and pencils.

What do you love about living in Adelaide as an artist?
I like living in Australia because our animals are fantastic for drawing - you can’t find any part of them that is not completely strange! I like working in Adelaide because we have some great little galleries and bookshops. I don’t know if it’s because we are kind of small, but I have found people are very encouraging of young artists.

Where do you find inspiration?
I like spending time in the children’s section of the library. I always feel compelled to create when I come home from looking at an art gallery.

What is your favourite children’s book?
My favourite book for this week is "Dairy of a Wombat" by Jackie French, illustrated by Bruce Whatley. There are lots of picture books I love to read over and over.

Where can we buy your products from?
I have artworks at a couple of galleries including Urban Cow on Frome Road in the city and Gallery M at Marion. I have cards in a few shops including the Ivy Room at Glenelg and Out of the Cot at Magill.

To contact Claire and view more of her work, visit her website:

http://clairerichards.com.au/

Images courtesy of Claire Richards

friday focus - all the king's horses

I am constantly in awe of my talented friends who combine motherhood with running a small business. Today's Friday Focus features All The King's Horses, a locally handmade toy business created by an Adelaide mum who was inspired to offer unique toys that can be passed down through generations of children. I caught up with owner (and avid sewer), Lysia May-Jamieson, to discuss her business.

Why did you launch All The King's Horses and how did you get started?
For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to make toys. As a mother in a world filled with mass produced imported toys, I found it difficult to find timeless, keepsake toys, that were lovingly created with the intent to be passed down through generations.

My passion for sewing, second-hand toys and books and vintage clothes, coupled with exposure to costumes and design during several years of performing in the arts throughout Australia, provided me with the inspiration to establish "All The King's Horses”.

I started sewing on Good Friday this year, when my mother gave me her old sewing machine and I was desperate to have a sense of achievement which did not involve my toddler, nor how many Haighs I had just eaten!

What products do you offer?
Currently I offer a range of ‘softies', using fabric from Kristen Doran and Aunty Cookie. My dolls include Rag dolls, Sassilu dolls, and themed dolls such as cowboys, clowns, pirates, fairies, Liberty fabric dolls, and robots. I'm expanding my range soon to offer Milly and Molly dolls whose 1950’s faces are so striking you can’t help but stop and look at them. Soft animals are also a work in progress with dogs, cats, pandas, owls and birds currently available.

Where can we buy All The King’s Horses products?
Out of The Cot on Magill Road currently stocks the Rag dolls, Sassilu dolls, owls and dogs.

Dulwitches, the gorgeous craft haven and co-op in Linden Park, stocks not only dolls and animals, but also crowns, building blocks, drummer boys and Matroyshkas, and boy and girl door stops. The new Milly and Molly dolls will also be stocked there in the near future.

I also have my products for sale on my blog thekingshorses.blog.com.

What is your favourite item from your range?
My favourite item would have to be the crowns. Any reason not to have to wear one of those paper ones on Christmas day is a winner in my eyes!

Where do you find inspiration?
Just to name a few sources ... vintage toys, second hand books, vintage fabric (don’t you just love the smell of second hand books and vintage fabrics??) costumes, ballets, paintings, craft blogs, Cath Kidston, Rosalie Quinlan, Meet me at Mike’s, Purl Bee, Dick and Dora, Belle and Boo, Loobylu, Martha Stewart, magazines and, of course, my mum!

And finally, how do you manage juggling mum duty with running a small business and sewing such a wide range of products?
Badly! Thankfully I have a very supportive husband and a wonderful nanny, so I have two full days to sew. I try not to do any projects during the day when I am with my son, only once he has gone to bed. It is quite amazing how much you can accomplish at 3am!!

All The King's Horses

Lysia May-Jamieson

Ph 0411 115 960

thekingshorses.blog.com

Out of The Cot

322 Magill Road, Magill

Ph 8431 5501

Dulwitches

97 Devereux Road, Linden Park

Ph 8379 1664

friday focus - little luv

With a cute name, and even cuter products, Little Luv is a new South Australian business specialising in handmade and vintage goodies for children.

Launched by my very talented friend and fellow mum, Little Luv had an unusual start - owner Mardi Zeunert literally found a sewing machine in hard rubbish and began to sew reusable shopping bags. She soon progressed to sewing mobiles, and Little Luv was born!

Little Luv currently stocks "birdy" and "save the whaleys" mobiles, nonite owls, nanna teddies, domino to go brooches, and vintage children's books.

I caught up with Mardi this week to discuss her business for the first feature in my new weekly post "Friday Focus".

Why did you start this business?
I launched this business because I felt there was a gap in the market, and wanted to start something from home that I could do as a hobby and unleash my creative side. I love markets and shopping and thought it was a great opportunity to fulfil that dream.

Where do you find inspiraton?
I find inspiration from magazines, online, markets, and retail shops. I am a magazine junkie and shopaholic - scary! Nature also inspires me.

Where do you work from?
I work from home in our spare bedroom.

How do you manage juggling mum duty with running your business?
It's not that easy, but I manage to find the time. You just have to be organised with your day - and hope that no tantrums erupt! I also work part-time for the 2010 Adelaide Festival in their PR team, so I am finding my time is stretched, but when you are doing something you love you make the time, even if it is at 9 at night! I also have a very supportive husband which is a godsend!

What is your favourite item from your range?
My personal favourite item is the first product I made, the birdy mobiles. All kids love birds and they really enhance a room. All my items are handmade and one-of-a-kind which is special.

Where can we purchase Little Luv products?

You can view my products online at my website. For orders and enquiries, please contact me on:
Ph: 0438 886 522
Email: pezed@adam .com.au

Little Luv will be at the Goodwood Christmas Market this Saturday, 28 November, from 9am - 3pm. The Little Luv stall will be located on the Goodwood Primary School Oval.

I will also be at the next Norwood Baby and Child Market on Sunday, 13 December, from 9am-3pm at Norwood Primary School.

Little Luv

http://www.littleluv.com.au/

product of the week - woolly wugs sleeping bags

A heatwave has well and truly hit South Australia this week, with temperatures soaring into the high 30s. Luckily for me, my dad and stepmum gave my toddler these fabulous new sleeping bags from Woolly Wugs just in time.

Made from 100% cotton, these light weight sleeping bags have kept my little man comfortable all night despite the heat. I've been dressing him in a short sleeved onesie and just popping him into the bag with no other covers over him in his cot.

The sleeping bags come in packs of two, and and are sized for newborns to two year olds.

I love the design, the fact that they dried in less than half an hour after their first wash (!) and that they are Australian-designed. In fact, they are the brainchild of two mothers from right here in South Australia. It's always great to know that you can support local companies whilst also benefitting from a great product.

I have already seen them in Kidzone on Unley Road, but you can also purchase directly from the Woolly Wugs website.

With the predictions for a long, hot summer, I know that these sleeping bags will be getting a lot of use in my household!

image from Woolly Wugs